(CNS): A West Bay man has been arrested in connection with fifteen shots that were fired at a home in George Town in the early hours of Saturday in what appears to be more gang-related violence, police revealed Tuesday. No one was hurt in the shooting rampage, in which three men reportedly fired at another man near the Roof Top Bar on Mary Street before pursuing him to a house in Myles Lane, where the gunmen opened fire on him and a friend. Multiple shots were fired at the yard and house, some of which were described as heavy caliber by police officers who recovered the spent shells at the scene.

Faced with a continued escalation of gun violence, Police Commissioner Derek Byrne raised his concerns about this latest gang shooting.

“This incident reflects a dramatic escalation of tensions and is believed to be gang-related,” he said. “The indiscriminate shooting at this residence shows an utter disregard for life and those responsible for it are a clear danger to the community. Such firearm violence cannot be tolerated, and we are responding firmly to the threat posed.”

With tensions running so high, one of the armed officers responding to the shooting accidentally discharged a police weapon near the Roof Top bar, adding to the rising fears about gun violence. Police said in a press release that the weapon was not aimed at anyone and no one was injured. It is now under investigation by the PSU.

The shooting rampage began at around 2:30am, when police were dispatched following two calls to 911 about shots being fired, one report originated from the Roof Top Bar; shortly afterwards there was another call from a residence on Myles Lane in central George Town.

The RCIPS discovered that the target of the shooting had been at the bar when he encountered three men whom he knew. He tried to avoid them by jumping over the second floor railing, falling on a parked car below, before he took off running. As he ran down the street towards a residence in Myles Lane, the three men pursued him and fired what he believed to be a gunshot in his direction.

The targeted man arrived at the residence, where he met a friend. Shortly afterwards, a silver Honda came by with the three gunmen inside, who began shooting on him and his friend, but they both ran off and managed to dodge the shower of bullets.

Police recovered several spent shells at the scene, some of which were of heavy caliber. It was determined that at least fifteen shots were fired, many of which hit the residence on Myles Lane. One of these was lodged in the mattress where one of the occupants had been sleeping, police said.

The RCIPS confirmed that following police operations around the island Tuesday involving CID detectives, firearms units, K-9 and the Air Operations Unit,a 24-year-old man from West Bay was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm in connection with the incident and he is now in police custody.

Comments (95)

Reading up on all the comments, I see all points of view. Yes I’m an expat cayman is a very pretty place it has its issues but the elephant in the room is that the UK lets cayman down. Few road signs here and there but it’s really just an extension of America. Remember you make opinions on the things you see. Culturally to me it’s like the US,there gang culture and similar mindset, infrastructure etc. The mindset in the uk is that cayman has all this money were not sending any. The reality is that it does need money and a better partnership with London. It’s also historical the uk didn’t value Jamaica so when Jamaica gained independence the mentality was cayman would go too. This left the uk with a headache and I think it’s stuck with an attitude of leave them to it. Cayman is beautiful (-barkers tip)

Omg!! Just listen to you all!
It’s the Premiers fault, it’s RCIPS’ fault, it’s the Parents fault, Jamaicans, expats, Immigration, Customs, and so on and on. You all need to own it! Stop posting such dribble, it’s like listening to 5yr olds in the school yard!! Everyone blaming each other instead of ALL working together, talking and sorting this place out in a Law abiding way. I’m sure those murderous gangs that are fighting each other to the death want resolution. This is 2017 people this is not Pirates of the Caribbean days. I came to these islands nearly 40yrs ago when, yes, Cayman was a truly beautiful, virtual crime free island, apart from the horrendous amount of traffic accidents. Now times have moved on, more technology has been introduced, a massive amount of construction has been going on building fabulous hotels bringing tourists and revenue to these islands. Caymanians have benefited ten fold. Crime has quadrupled here just like the U.K. And every other part of the world. Let’s try and stay calm and rid these islands of the scum that’s bringing the place down. Stop bitching at every person that is doing his/her best to combat this crime. No one is perfect! We are not going to be 100% crime free but we can do our best to eradicate these criminals by helping to put them away. THE POLICE NEED YOUR COOPERATION!!

But you came to our shores 40 years ago, then you wanted to modernized as we were living backwards. Then came the hotels, the investors, the workers, land was selling, homes were selling, then the realtors came, then more came, then we needed more roads, more businesses, then longer opening hours at the night clubs, the bars, gas stations selling liquor and on sundays now, our Christian values now in danger. Now you want to sit down and talk. Reality check, the island you came and found, fell in love with no longer exists and it’s going to take a lot more than talking to bring back the island time forgot. Children/teenagers cannot go out without being stalked or stabbed, women cannot hitch hike for the fear of being raped and robbed, homeowners cannot leave their homes to go to work wiithout being robbed, single women cannot go to bed without the fear of some stranger breaking into their homes whilst they sleep, club goers cannot spend and evening out without the fear of being caught in the crosshairs. This is progress and better living for the island time forgot. I wish you the very best with your talks.

Yolanda, I appreciate everything you say. But it’s a start! Rome wasn’t built in a Day! How else do you think things are going to be resolved? By shooting each of the people we don’t like or agree with? Why do you think we need Counselling Service or Marriage Guidance? Because it helps to talk. If not, the Psychiatrists and Psychologists would be no more. If parents spoke to their children and guided them in the right direction soon as they were in kindergarten maybe they would have turned out differently and we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Yes, this is a worldwide problem but are we just going to sit back then and leave everyone run amok? If this is how you feel I wish you the best. We won’t need any security services anymore, Police and why bother with law and order. Welcome to the Wild West because no one wants to talk and try and help resolve these issues that are seriously out of hand.

Nice speech, but if you fail to see the obvious pattern of certain cultures that are causing all the crime, then you are part fo the problem, however earnest you may seem.

Who are causing all the robberies, stabbing, rape,mass-violence, hostilities…we all know the answer, and the answer starts with stopping flights to these certain cultures. But that is throught of as too restrictive, and so crime continues as we continue to pander to some imaginary virtue.

To all expats – I have been watching the news in Cayman for the last 9 months since I left. Not much of anything positive and what seems a surge in crime and guns. I watched in hope that the Caymanians might vote for a different government and change the path it seems to be adamantly forging towards, which in my view is sadly a downward spiral. Many things are going to get worse, a lot worse. With the pension law deadlines looming and a chance to get your money out, this seems like the best time to make a safe, planned exit. We sure are glad we did.

If you are so Glad you did, why are you so concern of what happens here. Sound to me like a bitter sweet departure. Don’t bother yourself with our problems enjoy your crime free life wherever you are. Cheers

An innocent bystander got hit a few years back. The island was in a state of grief. The crime continues today. Sad how people forget that tragedy. I was a tourist on the island that week and will never forget that toddler’s smile.

11:25 am. Everywhere in the world that pension is deducted from salary,, it is paid in to the country’s pension pool, where it remains until you reach retirement age. Why should expats feel they are so special that they should collect their contribution before retirement age? They leave and return later on and jump on the bandwagon for another free ride. What is good fir the goose should be good for the gander.

Suggestion. When an unidentified boat is encountered in our waters, just drop a bucket of cement through the hull rather than arrest them. Leave them & their cargo to the sea. The word will get out an smugglers will think twice about making the trip.
Too strong a response for you? Then do not go on a smuggling trip.

Perhaps it is time to get dramatically serious about crime. Double the number of police officers, build a new high security prison, offer reasonable rehabilitation options, establish a robust trade school, improve the education system; and for the all the thugs out there who won’t change and who are committed to terrorizing the rest of us, breaking into our homes, dealing drugs, and carrying weapons – we lock them up and do whatever we need to do to discourage the next generations from following the gangster thug life style. We need to get the lawlessness under control now before it gets totally out of control. Cayman is on it’s way to becoming really dangerous – it needs to stop. The pendulum must swing the other way at least for a while. Put the criminals on the back foot, make them hide and cower and fear us again.

Very, very sad for our island. The worse part is those responsible will be back on the streets in a few hours if captured. Then free is a few months when the evidence is lost or compromised. What is there for criminals to be afraid of?

The money that is used to buy the ganja is the same money being used to bring these weapons into the Island.

Is it right to arrest people who smoke pot? No.

Is it reasonable to allow this sort of trade to prolong? No.

Solution – Legalisation.

Unfortunately the cigar and alcohol industry will promote false propoganda to avoid this. Perhaps arresting people who smoke and drink alcohol is a good idea since it contributes for more deaths than these weapons being brought in by black market deals.

To be honest the money that funds the illegal gun trade comes from the sale of cocaine. The marijuana that comes to the island is really bad quality, majority of times it has mold growing on the flowers. The police here have led the people to believe that marijuana is far more valuable than it really is.

For example, street value here is CI$50 – CI$75 per ounce. That puts the cost of a pound to CI$800 – CI$1200. So, if the police manage to bust a boat coming in with 100lbs, that is only CI$80,000 – CI$100,000. I’ve seen in the news before where police put the price tag at almost 1 million for similar weight.

We still do not know what the outcome was from the cocaine that went missing from the evidence container at the police station. Was there not an internal investigation going on? My opinion is that there are some big wigs involved in peddling the cocaine and guns into the island. The street value of 1kg or cocaine in Cayman is CI$100/gram, which works out to about CI$98,000.00 for 1 kilo.

Well in London three terrorists were shot dead within 8 minutes of the incident starting. In Cayman 3 gunmen have the time to start shooting at the rooftop bar, get into their car, chase the target, shoot up the house, and they still escape, with the police contribution being to turn up after the gunmen are gone (the bar being 700m and 2 mins drive at the speed limit from GT police station), and fire at nothing in particular by accident. And no one is arrested until 3 days later – and then only one person. So yeah, think I would rather be in London than Cayman when it came to relying on the police to protect the public. God help us all if we ever have a terrorist incident here – we cannot even handle wanna be gang bangers.

Do you really need 1.29pm to be that childish with that kind of sarcasm? You weren’t there when that officer discharged that firearm accidentally. You haven’t a clue what pressure these officers have and the adrenaline that flows at a time like this. Where is the next bullet coming from? Are my work colleagues in danger? Is that elderly lady going to be shot by these perpetrators? The shouting, the screaming, the panic!!! You have to walk in these Police Officers shoes to be qualified to comment. Until then don’t judge! Save your silly comments and be more concerned that these Officers are there to be called upon to save the lives of the likes of you. There’s a huge amount of gun crime in Cayman now with hundreds of unlicensed firearms floating around and people being shot and killed as if it’s going out of style. You’d be far better off being more vigilant and gain the valuable information required to try and help to put these murderers behind bars. These are the REAL criminals not RCIPS.

There is no suggestion that the police officer deliberately fired, so in considering whether he was negligent and if so the extent of that negligence you first have to determine whether the weapon was faulty and if not the circumstances – why (if) was the weapon unholstered and how was it triggered, as well as understanding the circumstances at the time, including whether anyone was endangered by the discharge. You shouldn’t pre judge the situation.

The report states the officer accidently discharged his fire arm and there is no suggestion in my post that he deliberately discharged it. My post is an opinion based on what is known from the report. Have you ever been in a fire arms engagement? I can tell you it is damn scary, but when I pull my trigger it is only after I have made damn sure my bullet will hit the right target. In case you didn’t know a bullet is propelled by a massive and rapid gas expansion of which a side effect is sound. It is sound I am referring to that can tell your target where to aim his weapon(s).

Well actually yes I have, and your comment is still bollocks. First, a report gives a general indication rather than a specific point of aim. But as you say, there is nothing to say that the officer either pulled the trigger, or if he did so, did so deliberately, so the whole spiel about a trained professionals not recklessly discharging the firearm ealing to a tactical disadvantage is completely pointless. He either had an equipment failure or he made a mistake. Saying he shouldn’t have fired is not the point.

Here Mr Premier, crime and guns is what you should be concerned and working on. Leave the Marine Conservation Laws alone that is in place now, and forget about the developer till after crime is cleaned up.

The Police said it was high calibre gun, that’s not good, sounds like the criminals are upping up their game, then we just had a heroin bust.

Mr Premier all this don’t look good for the future of the Islands, get your priorities straight before it’s too late.

You are so right 4.14pm I remember those tranquil days so well. But things have moved on and sadly not for the better. We can only do our best now and try and eradicate these criminals and hopefully, at least restore harmony amongst these gangs and the violent crime. I wish I could meet you, I’m sure we’d have some great conversations. I would really love a job to try and educate these youngsters the rights and wrongs of life.

Drain the swamp just who do you believe is using the cocaine that’s here? Certainly not the poor families struggling to make ends meet. I bet you my whole salary, if the were to do random drug tests at some of these law firms, accounting firms and executive businesses you will see how this drug and money is being circulating.

You have heard of crack cocaine, right? Cocaine is no longer a high end drug for the rich alone. Some of those families struggling to make ends meet may be struggling to meet their drug habit and the cost of living – and if you are an addict, everything including your self respect is secondary to your next fix. Check out the court reports for all the instances in which people claim drug addiction is the driver for their criminality – not a lot of them are accountants, lawyers and executives.

8:17 pm, money talks and bullshit walks. Poor people are not the purchasers of expensive drugs. It would be a shocker to put your hands on the high paid, upper class elites who are the clients of drug dealers.

Shooting recklessly, sooner or later, if they don’t hit their target, they are going to hit an innocent bystander ( a mom , an elderly person, a young child, a tourist). Then, what do they say? Oops?
You can’t take back a bullet.
These shootings are usually over a woman, a look “disrespect ” or something just as ridiculous ( although seems so important at the time), but the bloody outcome lasts forever.
Mentors in the community need to step up and
talk to these misguided young men- show them what a corpse really looks like, bullet wounds, etc. and get some job training and sports for at risk youth.

life in prison for unlicensed firearms, is the quickest fix to this problem. much easier than trying to protect our boarders , with boats coming and going nightly and being tipped off by dirty law enforcement that’s a loosing battle

Your sarcasm is unnecessary! I am guessing more than likely you are an expat(forgive me if you are not). But maybe you can take something from this too.

By expat I mean one of the ones with the Expat against Cayman mentality! You Canadians and American expats are some of the nastiest and disrespectful people I have ever seen!They will walk pass all other nationalities except their own and refuse to even say good morning!

Guess what…Our Caymanians were the ones that built this infrastructure, Tourism Industry and you can say everything else with the help of JAMAICANS!

Were you here when our grandparents and great-grand parents and so on were here working two and three jobs? Were you here when all the mosquitoes were here?
When there were no cars?
When we had to use outside toilets?

I FIGURE NOT!

So please DO NOT FLATTER YOURSELF!

If our retarded governments give all of these large offshore companies and every other Tom, Dick and Harry the right to open businesses here that hire you all and the one two little Caymanians FINE! But please, at least have some manners!You all treat your dogs better than your fellow Caymanians in the work place.EVERY ONE DESERVES RESPECT!

Please also note: We Caymanians have no where to go other than the UK pretty much. With that being said, for the ones that do choose to stay here and not move out of their own country I do not by any means mind you here but please, bring your manners,morals and standards with you!

Why don’t you go to the Bahamas,Trinidad,Jamaica,St.Vincent etc. and let us know how easy you get to live and work there?
TAKE YOUR DISRESPECT AND NASTY ASS ATTITUDE THERE!

Then you talk about gay rights to bring your other half here and claiming for pension! PLEASE.

If it was left to me I would put all of your asses in a trailer and tell SEABOARD MARINE to drop yall off in the middle of the INDIAN OCEAN!

” I do not by any means mind you here ..” – unless you are a Canadian, American, or gay (did you mean to add in accountants to your rant as well? They can be pretty disrespectful, nasty ass people as well in my experience – especially the gay Canadian ones)

Triggered much. Caymanians have been going to work and live in the US and Canada for years and you won’t hear them rant like you just did. You sound like a Trump Supporter with the us versus them mentality…Lets work together to make Cayman a place of Peace, Respect and a Light in the world.

Shedden Road and Mary Street this weekend sounded as if the capital George Town turned into London England, Paris France or Brussels Belgium; except these shootings are not politically or religiously motivated.

We have some silly people, who will never understand how governments works. How can we educate those limited souls. Everything the government is to be blamed for. What about the parents? Not only children should go to school, but parents must be a part of the education system. I am sure they could learn and deal with situations more intelligently.

4:50, Last time I checked Alden is the Premier so he has everything to do with this. The other obvious reason is him stating at a conference a few weeks ago that he would reduce guns and gun crime by 60%, you should probably try keep up with the news.